Rank and file police officers standing nearby, some carrying candles, bowed their heads in sombre thought as the silence was observed.

Members of the public crowded under umbrellas to shelter from the relentless rain.

Chief Superintendent Nick Adderley, the top officer in the Tameside Division for Greater Manchester Police, said: "The numbers of people that are here today not only symbolises the popularity of what Nicola and Fiona stood for.

"But it is also a symbol of hope that actually, within the community, we want to rid these communities of individuals that cause fear, cause misery.

"Together, as a consequence of Nicola and Fiona's deaths, we are determined ever more to do that."